Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 30, 1954)

Page scan 0002 from Canadian Film Weekly

Record Details:

Title:
Canadian Film Weekly
Date:
Jun 30, 1954
Volume:
Canadian Film Weekly (Jun 30, 1954)
Leaf #:
0002
Language:
English
Collection:
Global Cinema, Canada, and Hollywood Studio System
Format:
periodicals
Contributor:
Media History Digital Library, Greig Dymond in memory of David Dymond, Paul Moore and Jessica Whitehead
Coordinator:
Media History Digital Library
Description:

Canadian Film Weekly

  • Editor: Hye Bossin (1942-64)
  • Renamed Canadian Film & TV Bi-Weekly (1965-69, editor: Stan Helleur)
  • Renamed Candian Film Weekly(1970, editor: Ed Hocura)

Canadian Film Weekly (1942-70) was edited by Hye Bossin and published by Film Publications of Canada, Ltd., wholly owned by leading exhibitor, Nat Taylor. In the late 1930s, Taylor was head of the Independent Theatre Association and his Toronto-based chain, Twinex-Century (Twentieth Century), was the largest independent circuit in the country. In 1941, however, he negotiated for chain affiliation with upstart Canadian Odeon before leveraging a better deal and greater booking control with nationally-dominant Famous Players Canada, Ltd. No longer independent, he took ownership of the Independent Theatre Association’s semi-monthly magazine, The Canadian Motion Picture Exhibitor (1940-41), installed Hye Bossin as editor, and laid plans to relaunch in January 1942 under a new name, Canadian Film Weekly. This enduring key publication was no longer solely focused on independent exhibitors but instead covered the entire industry on a national scale–exhibition, distribution and production–with some attention given to studio news from New York and Hollywood.

Bossin was a vibrant writer with a canny way with words, admired in the industry in the United States as well as Canada. He was one of a large family who lived above their father’s secondhand shop in the Jewish “ward” downtown in Toronto. His older brother was a bookie with ties to the underground; his younger brother was a famous journalist, protégé of Walter Winchell, and Hollywood screenwriter. In contrast, Hye spent nearly two decades learning the publishing trade in a printers’ shop before trying a stint as a Hollywood publicist, then writing a column for the Toronto Star Weekly before taking Taylor’s offer to edit the Film Weekly. Bossin was central to the creation of the Canadian Film Archive, the Canadian Film Awards, and he wrote some of the first histories of early cinema in Canada, published in the first volumes of the annual Canadian Film Weekly Year Book (1951-70).

In 1957, the Film Weekly had incorporated the rival Canadian Moving Picture Digest (1917-57), and began dating its start to that paper’s earlier start as the Canadian Universal Bulletin (1915-18). Subsequent variants of the Canadian Film Weekly and its yearbooks always claimed their roots all the way back to 1915 and the origins of the film industry trade press in Canada. After Bossin died in 1964, the Weekly’s new editor, Stan Helleur, renamed the magazine Canadian Film & TV Bi-Weekly, scaling back the pace of publishing but adding a purview for television and broadcasting. The annual was renamed similarly, its subtitle amended to “Year Book of the Canadian Entertainment Industry.” An attempted renewal to weekly format in 1970, edited by Ed Hocura, was short-lived and Nat Taylor decided instead to relaunch under an entirely new title, Canadian Film Digest (1971-77) and Canadian Film Digest Yearbook (1971-86).

– Paul Moore, March 2024

Further Reading

  • Bossin, Hye. “Canada and the Film: The Story of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry.” In Canadian Film Weekly Year Book of the Canadian Motion Picture Industry, 21-41. Toronto: Film Publications of Canada, 1951.
  • Moore, Paul. “Chronicling a National History: Hye Bossin’s Canadian Film Weekly and Year Book.” In Eric Hoyt and Kelley Conway, eds., Global Movie Magazines. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2024.

Date Added:
May 23, 2024
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ee eee Sa: RR a June 30, 1954 CANADIAN FILM WEEKLY Page 3 ODEON CONTEST (Continued from Page 1) behind. There are three weeks left. Another phase of the contest is called the Showmanship Tent and among the leaders in this are Don Gauld, Ray Resky, Ralph Connor, Roy McLeod, Marcel Desjardins, Jean-Paul Legris, Nicky Langston, Jacques Martin and Lin Martyn. Leaders in the Big Top section are: BC — Ralph Connor, Al Jenkins, Roy McLeod and Frank Marshall, BC Little—Constance Smythe, Reub Elliot and Norm Egilson. Mid-Western—Don Gauld, Bill Russell and Ray Resky. Ontario A— Vic Nowe, Gord Bregman. Ontario B—Ed Foley, Ralph Bartlett, Harry Dunk and Lorne Moore. Ontario C—Ed Burrows, Nicky Langston and Bill Woodbeck. Ontario D—Lionel Miller and Charles Mason. Quebec—Jacques Martin, Ron Gaboury and Marcel Desjardins. Maritimes -— Doug Smith, Henry McNeil, Bill Horner and Ernie Hatfield. The week’s Top Showman prize of $25 went to Ron Gaboury, Villeray, Montreal. Other Ringmasters are: Ontario A—Chris Holmes; Ontario B—Bob Harvey; Ontario D— Keith Wilson; Maritimes—Lee ‘April; and BC and BC Little— Earl Hayter and Gerry Sutherland. Jim Hardiman, assistant to Wannie Tyers in Odeon Theatres’ advertising and publicity department, is in charge of the campaign as “Circus Boss.” New Panorama Film , Acquired By UA Jesse James’ Women, fastmoving Technicolor Western starring Peggie Castle, Jack Beutel, Don “Red” Barry and Lita Baron, will be distributed by United Artists. Filmed entirely on location in Mississippi, Jesse James’ Women was produced by Panorama Pictures, Inc., and Don Barry served as producer and director. Dancer To Debut In New MGM Musical Michael Kidd, former dancer and more recently choreographer for both stage and screen musicals, will make his screen acting debut with Gene Kelly in MGM’s It’s Always Fair Weather. Kidd, who recently originated the unusual ballet sequences for Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, was sereen tested for the role of Kelly’s Italian soldier buddy at Kelly’s insistence. The musical will be produced by Arthur Freed. and co-directed by Kelly and Stanley Donen. — News Notes — HARNETT MANAGES WB 16 MM. C. Ray Harnett has been appointed Canadian sales manager for Warner Bros.’ 16 mm. division, effective June 21, by Haskell M. Masters, Warner’s general manager in Canada. Born in Peterborough and educated in Ottawa, Harnett was affiliated with General Films Ltd. for three years in Regina, Kingston and Eastern Canada. He was connected with Associated Screen News in Montreal for eight years as assistant manager of that company’s Bell and Howell division. He was also general manager for Telephoto Industries, one-time Canadian outlet for Ampro. From 1947 until joining Warner Bros. he has been president of Vocasound Ltd., an electronic equipment research and development company. TWO TERRYTOON SHORTS ‘PER MONTH Paul Terry, producer of Terrytoons released by 20th CenturyFox, announced over the weekend that starting this month there will be two all-purpose Terrytoons characters available to exhibitors on a monthly basis. The short subjects will be adaptable for projection in CinemaScope proportions through anamorphic lenses, or in standard or wide-screen proportions through regular 35 mm. lenses. Success of Arctic Rivals, shown on bills featuring Fox CinemaScope films, caused the conversion to the all-purpose program. Releases in June will be Pride of the Yard (Percival Sleuth-Hound) and Fisherman’s Luck (Gandy Goose) ; in July The Cat’s Revenge (Little Roquefort) and Ants in Your Pantry; in August The Reformed Wolf (Mighty Mouse) and A Wicky Wacky Romance; and in September Blue Plate Sympathy (Heckle and Jeckle) and A Torrid Toreador. TUFTS NFB EDUCATION OFFICER The National Film Board has appointed W. Elmore Tufts education officer. He will be stationed at headquarters in Ottawa. The position entails liaison with educational groups across the country with regard to the content of the Board’s educational and informational films and..filmstrips. Tufts, the Board’s district representative at Saint John, NB for the past year and a half, succeeds T. V. Adams, now assistant chief of International Distribution. He will also serve as secretary of the joint advisory committee of the National Film Board and the Canadian Education Asosciation. Before joining the Board, Tufts was a public school teacher in New Brunswick. He is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick. TRUEMAN FOR 'LOCAL LOYALTIES' The concept of “global loyalty” as embodied in such phrases as “world Citizenship,” could lead to widespread misunderstanding and destruction, Government Film Commissioner A. W. Trueman told the biennial conference of the Association of Canadian Clubs in Winnipeg; recently. Trueman, who, as Honorary President of the Association of Canadian Clubs, presided over the conference, stressed the necessity of what he termed “local loyalties” as a true basis for international understanding. “When anyone asks me to slough off those relations with my country which are summed up in the term ‘Citizenship,’ and to substitute for them global associations which will make me a citizen of the world, I suspect that something is being proposed that is dangerous.” INDIA TO LEND PRODUCERS' MONEY On the basis of recommendations made by the Film Inquiry Committee the Government of India has announced plans to create a National Film Board, which will assume the functions of the existing Central Board of Film Censors, as well as supervise a newly-constituted Film Production Bureau and a Film Institute. The Film Production Bureau is to give advice on scripts and provide guidance to producers in an advistory capacity. In addition it will maintain a library and research service. It is to be charged with training in direction, photography, sound engineering, editing and other aspects of production. A small studio for training purposes will be maintained. In view of the element of risk involved, the Government of India will not participate in the financing of productions, but if necessary, provisions are being considered that would enable producers to obtain loans. JARO SCHEDULE (Continued from Page 1) press and public and is a worthy boxoffice successor. JARO is also offering a great combination in a great picture—Gregory Peck in Mark Twain's story, Man With a Million. This comedy, in Technicolor, is a_ large-scale production that makes unusual entertainment. Ready to follow are: You Know What Sailors Are, a comedy, stars Akim Tamiroff and Donald Sinden, who will be remembered for his fine role in The Cruel Sea. Said by the critics to be the finest racing picture ever to be made, The Rainbow Jacket was written by the Academy Award winner, T. E. B. Clarke, and features such _ world-famous racetracks as Newmarket and Epsom, Following in the footsteps of Genevieve, the best-selling novel, Doctor in the House, has been filmed and is acclaimed as being as funny as its predecessor. Starring as the four mad medics are Donald Sinden, Dirk Bogarde, Kenneth (Genevieve) More, and Donald Houston. Adventure in natural backgrounds is the keynote for West of Zanzibar, starring Anthony Steele and filmed in East Africa. Jack Hawkins and _ Glynis Johns are teamed in the great adventure story of New Zealand called The Seekers. All the films mentioned above, with the exception of The Kidnappers and The Maggie, are in Technicolor and will be released through the summer months and early fall as the answer to the summer doldrum at the nation’s boxoffices. To Direct 'Wyoming Outlaws’ Fred P. Sears will direct Columbia’s Wyoming Outlaws. "Cell 2455, Death Row' Columbia has purchased Cell 2455, Death Row, the autobiography of Caryl Chessman, who has been sentenced to be executed in San Quentin July 30. JARO's Trade Shows Monday Afternoons JARO, which has held successful trade showings for five weeks, will continue them every Monday afternoon at the Odeon Theatres’ screening room, third floor, 20 Carlton Street, Toronto. Exhibitors and circuit bookers have welcomed the opportunity to formulate promotional plans well in advance of playdates and to discuss the product with other showmen and the JARO representatives present. All local exhibitors, and any out-of-town ones visiting Toronto, are invited to these regular trade shows. To arrange to attend call Joe McPherson, Toronto branch manager, at EMpire 3-5251. 5 PN FT OTST TITIES <TD